Resistance comparator



Feb. 15, 1944. s. w. BORDEN RESISTANCELJOMPARATOR Filed Feb. 12, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet l E T H Q 2 m 1 Q l l I I l I I f l I l ll L nn H n my W 2 9- MW 2 V3 a :2 i; L 3 w w it i'wm um 1 s. w. BORDEN 2,341,854

RES IS TANCE COMPARATOR Feb. 15, 1944.

Filed Feb. 12; 1942 SSheecs-Sheet s N READING RES/ST OYMS 3 a 1.? [W98 MlNlMUM AMPERES-AS REQUIRED FOR DESIRED SENSITIVITY 6 7 FIG. 4-

Patented Feb. 15, 1944 RESISTANCE COMPARATOR Stephen W. Borden, Summit, N. J.

Application February 12, 1942, Serial No. 430,625

' 4 Claims.

ed for determining the location of mineral deposits, as an aid in mining, for ascertaining the position of wateror oil-bearing structures for use in determining structure or stratum and for the location of wells and openings to prospect the same, or for observing the geological conditions of the earth crust as a preliminary to engineering work, such as the construction of dams,

the driving of tunnels, etc.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide equipment which, while having the necessary sensitivity, will be free from interference by foreign potentials created by stray earth currents or otherwise. Another object is to provide facilities for compensating for the electrode circuit resistance for certain kinds of tests. Other objects will appear from the specification and claims.

The equipment herein described is suitable for carrying out a test of the character described by F. G. Wenner in A Method of Measuring Earth Resistivity, United States Bureau of Standards, Scientific Paper 258, 1915. The distinguishing feature of this method is that the potential between a pair of earth electrodes, due to a flow of current between another pair of earth electrodes, is measured for various locations and the geophysical conditions deduced therefrom.

In the drawings, which are schematic, Fig. 1 illustrates the complete equipment arranged for a test. Fig. 2 is a simplified diagram showing the connections when the main switch 90 of Fig. 1 is thrown to the "calibrate" position, and Fig. 3 is a similar diagram when the switch is thrown to the test" position. Fig. 4 is a detail of the dial of meter 33.

For carrying out these tests, Lprefer swing current and a swing current meter. A complete exposition of the nature and use of swing current and swing current meters for testing purposes generally will be found in my U. S. Patent Re. 21,784, issued April 29, 1941, and types of generators for producing swing current are described in the above patent and in my U. S. Patent No. 2,300,770, issued Nov. 3, 1942. However, there are some test conditions where the use of swing current is not essential.

For use in the specification and claims of this application, the term swing current refers to a current flow produced by a potential which varies in a definite manner over a fixed period of timeprepetitively, with substantially constant and uniform speed and with a frequency be tween 1 and 1.5 cycles per second. The wave form of the potential need not conform to any precise pattern. A swing current generator is to be understood to be a device for producing current either directly by generationor indirect 1y by modification of an existing potential.

In the specification and claims, the term swing current meter refers to a meter which has av unidirectional field (usually, but not necessarily, of the permanent magnet type) and a movable coil suspended in the field and arranged to deflect a needle over a center zero scale, the direction of deflection reversing with each change of direction of the current in the coil, the coil construction being such as to avoid all damping effects leaving the moving element free to swing as a substantially true pendulum when the coil circuit is open.

The basic features of this invention are already covered by my U. S. Patent; No. 2,176,758,

. issued October 17, 1939, and this application covers the following additional features and improvements:

(1) The calibration of the differential meter is made by connecting the two element circuits in multiple and to any suitable source of potential which makes it possible to eliminate entirely the calibrating resistance previously employed. In addition the reading resistance is included in the element circuit during calibration.

(2) Means have "been provided for compensation for leakage between the \windings of the two elements on the moving coil of the differential meter and between various parts of the equipment and the metal base upon which they are mounted.

(3) An improved dial has been provided for the ammeter.

(4) Means have been provided for adjusting the phase relation of the currents in the elements of the differential meter.

(5) The sensitivity control rheostats have been or radio'Bbatteries.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. i. All of.

the equipment within the dotted enclosure I composes the resistance comparator proper and is customarily assembled in a. single housing.

The equipment within the dotted enclosure an open position at the point of obtained. Each end of each of the fixed units is connected to a heavy contacting terminal as III, ll, 12, i3 and H, and means are provided, such as l5, for short circuiting any one of the units. l5 may bea conventional plug fitting suitable recesses in the terminal blocls as is done in conventional plug bridge practice. The sliding contact 8 is connected to a terminal 41. The drop across the reading resistance is taken between terminals 48 and 41 and it will be clear that the unit may be set for any value between zero and maximum, in this case 18 ohms, in steps or .001 ohm.

Within the dotted enclosure 80 is a differential meter. 8| is a winding on a movable element having its terminals connected to Al and A2 and I50 includes a source of direct current 38, a fourpole doublethrow switch 34, a swing current generator 3|, an ammeter 33, and a switch 35.

The equipment as a whole within the enclosure I50 maybe termed a swing current power supply and usually the power supply is connected 1 by a 3 conductor cable 31 to a plug which may be inserted in a receptacle mounted in the comparator and having three receptacles 39,-40'

and ti tor the reception of the three-pronged.

plug 30. i The plug and receptacle are polarized I to insure proper connections.

The swing current generator, within the dotted enclosure Si, is shown schematically only and'it" Y 1 is intended to represent any suitable type or. swing current generator. At thepresent time V p the best type I know of is the type described in my U. 8. Patent 2,300,770 issued Nov. 3, 1942.. :The generator consists essentially oia doublepole double-throw switching device operated by.

a motor 12, which may be turned on: and oil-by" v switch 35, the operation of the device being'such as to produce swing current and complete details j "oisuch operation are tully set iorth in my U. B. Patent Re. 21,784! and also in my U. 8. Patent The battery 38 may-conveniently be a number;

Atapas-llistaken oflto 1 provide motorjiwith a suitable oparatingyoltage which may conveniently be 3mm 90" to 130 plied to the center terminals 24 and 25 '0! .gen-

82 is a winding on the same movable element and having its terminals connected to BI and B2. A sensitivity control I9 is connected across terminals Al and A2 and the sensitivity control I0 is connected across terminals Bi and B2. The two elements is and I! are mounted on a common shaft l9" and revolve together and when turned to the limit clockwise the meter elements are short circuited and when turned to the limit counter-clockwise the rheostat elements are open circuited. 20A and 20B are choke coils, 2 IA and MB are condensers, and C an adjustable condenser. i8 is an adjustable resistor.- 54- is a center tapped resistance unit used iniconjunc'tion with potentiometer SI -as,a means for compensating for leaking between the meter elements 8! and 02. 53-43 is a resistance element'connected between terminals C and D and center tapped through conductor 22 to the metal face plate oi the meter represented by 23. Within the dotted enclosure 90 is a switch having two positions marked Calierator 3| either the voltage existin between 1 leads "and 51 orthat between leads '8 and 58, the former being generally reierredto as the Calibrating" or"low" voltage and the latter as the Test'! or high".voltage..althoughthe caii- 'brating'voltage may alsobe used for testing pur- 1 poses when no higher voltage is necessary. In the comparator unit I00 the equipment within the dotted enclosure 60 is termed a Reading resisitance and consists of a number or fixed resistance units as 88 connected in series and in series with a slide-wire 8 the resistance circuit starting at, the terminal and terminating at the terminal 48. The slide-wire has a resistance brate"v and Test." i1 is a fixed resistor. II and "are iixed resistors which are connected across the source of supply'with a tap taken of! e to a'neon lamp I. which serves as an indicator oi over-voltage. A; B, C and D are terminal posts .Ior connection to iourearth electrodes as 42. 43,44 and respectively.

Thecircuit from C into the earth via electrode f. 4l,'through the earth and out or the earth via electrode 45 to terminal D, is hereinafter referred to as-the potential electrode circuit)- The re-. .sistance or this circuit may be anything from a iew ohms to several thousand ohms and, 01. course, must not be confused with the resistance of that portion of the earth path between current electrodes 2 and. across which the drop in potential is picked upby electrodes N and l! s. and the resistance of which is irequently less than one ohm due to its large cross sectional area which is that of a. cylinder having a radius I equal to twice the distance between the potential electrodes.

/ In conducting test by the weaner method a and using the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, terminaisA. B, C and D are connected to earth electrodes as 42, II, M and 45 respectively. The elecor 1 ohm and is provided with a conventional trodes and ll are termed current electrodes.

while and ll are termed potential electrodes. The plug 30 is inserted-in terminals 3|, 4| and ll. The first operation is to throw switches II and 34 to the "calibrate" position which results in the equipment being connected as shown in Fig. 2. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that terminal I of generator 3| is connected through calibrating resistance l! to a junction T and output terminal I of the generator is connected through fuse is and a portion of the slide wire to terminal II. It will element. 2|C has a total capacity of about one be seen that the two elements 8| and 82 the differential meter, each in series with other circuit elements, are connected in multiple between points T and terminal 41. In series with element 8| is the potential electrode circuit 44-45, the choke coil 20A and the condenser 2|A while in series with element 82 is the variable resistor l8,

the choke 20B, and the fixed condenser 2|B with the variable condenser 2|C in shunt and substantially all of the reading resistance. It will be seen that with switch 34 in the calibrating Dosition the relatively low voltage between leads 56 and 51 is supplied to terminals 24 and 25 of the. swing current generator and the calibrating resistance I1 is of suitable value for calibratin the meter on the potential value thus provided. The potential between leads 56 and 58 might be as high as 400 or 500 volts and if this voltage were applied to points T and terminal 41 through the resistor I1, the meter would probably be ruined and in any case it is necessary that the calibration be carried out at a fairly definiteyoltage er which registers on a scale.

microiarad.

The sensitivity of the set generally is so high that'the balance may be upset by changes in the capacity of condensers 2 IA and 2 l B over 'a'period of time or due to temperature efiects even though they are of the best possible quality and it will be noted that in calibrating the swing current meter any change which may have taken place in these condensers or in the chokes istaken care of and accounted for and the set is calibrated under the actual working conditions existing at the time it is to be used. 7 I

Because of the high sensitivities involved, it is necessary to provide sensitivity controls l9 and I9 and these consist of rheostats on a common shaft and operated by a common knob and point- However, it is essential that these rheostats both open circuit at the point of maximum sensitivity because it .is commercially impractical to build a dual rheostat of this sort in which the resistance values in each and since motor 32, which is also fed from taps 56 and 51 necessarily must have a fairly constant and definite voltage, we are assured of a fairly deiinite and constant calibrating voltage between be put in the test" position when switch 90 is in I the calibrate" position, the circuit through lead 28 will be opened thus eliminating any possibility of the test voltage being applied between terminais T and 41. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be. seen that when switch 98 is'in the test posi-, tion, terminal 'T is disconnected from both the elements A2 and B2 and thus it is that the two switches 80 and 34 cooperate in such manner that it is impossible for the high test voltage to be applied to the meter elements when they are in the calibrating position. Since switch 34 may be opened under load an extra pole has been provided so that it may open the circuit at three points simultaneously.

With the switches in the calibrating position, switch 84 closes the circuit from the battery to to; the generator the lower voltage existing between conductors 56 and 51 instead of the high" the swing current generator and, the motor being started by closing switch 85, calibrating swing current is applied between points T and 41. The re-.

sistance of the potential electrode circuit 44-'--4|i may be anything from a few ohms to several thousand ohms, depending upon th character of the soil in which the test is being conducted, and in order to compensate for this resistance the adjustable resistor Hi 15 provided. The first step in the calibration is to estimate the value of the resistance to be measured and to set the reading resistance to that value. The resistor I6 is then adjusted until the two elements are as nearly balanced as may be, but it may be found that a perfect balance can-not be obtained by adjusting resistor i5 due to the fact that the current in the two windings 8| and 82 are not exactly in phase, this phase displacement being due to the fact that the potential electrode circuit is not purely noninductive or because the choke coils and/or condensers may have changed physically. This outof-phase condition may be eliminated by adjustand condenser MA in series.

element will be at all times exactly alike regardless of the position of the sliders and they must therefore be open circuited when the final balance is made.

Having calibrated the setas described, switch 80 is now'thrown to the test" position which results in establishing connections as shown in Fig. .3, providing switch 34 is also thrown to the "test position. If switch 84 is thrown to the calibrating position, the only result is to supply the reading resistance 88 and fuse |8-to terminal- Element 82 oi the meter is 9 of the generator. connected to receive the drop across the readin resistance 80, through the condensers ZIB and 2|C, choke 20B and variable resistor l8. The

other meter element 8| is connected across the potential electrodes 44 and 45 with choke 28A It now remains only to adjust reading resistance 88 until the meter pointer stops swinging thus indicating a balance between elements 8| and 82. If a perfect balance is not obtained condenser 2|C is adjusted'to the value which gives the minimum swing-and if this ing the adjustable condenser- 2|C. It is or course i is not zero the remaining swing is eliminated by adjusting the leakage device 55. These adjustments' are never suflicient to make any difierence in the balancing position of reading resistance 68.

The value of reading resistance 80, which is necessary to balance the meter, gives the value of the resistance of the earth path between electrodes 44 and 45, which is the information for which the test has been conducted. It will be notedthat the contact resistance of. thesllding contact on slide wire 5 does not enter into the value of the reading resistance. The value of-reading resistance thus obtained will ordinarily be sumcient- 1y accurate but if the maximum accuracy of the set is desired the following precautions should be taken.

In order that the current flowing through the readingv resistance while testing may be kept within the safe current carrying capacity of its resistance units, ammeter I8 is provided with an ampere scale 61 on which the pointer indicates the change in resistance will produce an error order to provide sistor iL-il I .sistance between terminals A2 and Bi and from I a center tap on this resistance I connect to the ,eentcr'of a 9 megohm potentiometer unit 55 -whi'ch potentiometer unit is connected directly across the testing potential.

" ly adjust the leakage compensator, the equipment is done little or no ed on a metal panel and leakage various parts and errors and in tains a total of 2 ohms or more the current must be limited to 1 ampere to prevent damaging the reading resistance by overheating.

If theilnal position of reading resistance 80 is found to differ more than 10% from the approximate value assumed during the calibrating period it is well to recallbrate the meter using the more accurate approximation obtained by the first test. This recalibration is ordinarily required only in the case of the first in a series of tests since the from one test position to the next is usually not sumcient to require a second calibration and in any case the second calibration will consist only in a readjustment of the adjustable resistor |8..

In the differential meter there is but a single moving element consisting of two moving coils, one inside the other, and under test conditions there may be a considerable difference of potential between these two coils and when designed to withstand a difference of potential of say 500 volts, which voltageis frequently needed for geobound to be a certain the coils and even if there still would physical work, there is amount of leakage between perfectly insulated, so to speak,

be some current flow due to the capacity effect,

This leakage current, unless compensated for, in the final reading. In this correction, I connect a reof approximately 60 megohms re- In order to properis put in operation with switches 34 and 90 in the test positions but with post B disconnected from electrode 43 since in this position the only current flowing in coils 8i and U2 is leakage current. The potential applied should be that to be used in the ensuing test. Potentiometer'tl is then adjusted until the deflection disappears. If this further adjustment of the leakage control will be found necessary.

All of the equipment involved is usually mountbetween the the metal panel may produce order to overcome these, I connect a resistor, as 53-43, of approximately 2 megohms between terminals C and D and connect the center point of this resistor to 23 and I have found the metal plate that with this arrangement it is immaterial whether the metal plate is f grounded or not whereas without this compensator different readings may be had depending upon whether or not the operator, who is ordinarily standing on the ground, may happen to be touching any part oi'the plate or metal housing of the meter or upon whether or not the metal housing is resting upon the ground or upon a wooden box or other insulating support.

portion of the circuit whose with the meter elements must be omitted and when alternating current is used it is advisable to omit the choke coils.

What I claim is:

1. Equipment for measuring the resistance of a portion of a circuit through which an electric power current is flowing and where the conditions are such that a connection to the points of the circuit a between which the resistance is to be measured is possible only through a connection circuit having appreciable resistance of unknown value, which includes; a reading resistance connected in the power circuit, a differential null detector having one element connected, via an adiustable resistance, across the reading resistance and responsive to the drop in potential produced by current flowing through the reading resistance and the other element connected, via the connection circuit, to the points of the power circuit between which the resistance is to be measured; and switch mechanism having an operating position as test and an operating position as "calibrate" and interconnecting leads so interconnecting the equipment that when the switch is in the test" position the equipment is connected in the foregoing manner and when the switch is in the "calibrate position the power circuit through the resistance is to be measured is open circulted, the first element is connected via its adjustable resistance to receive a calibrating potential whose value is independent of the value of the power current or the setting of the reading resistance or of the value of any current flowing in the reading resistance and the second element is connected, via the connecting circuit and that portion of the power circult whose resistance is to be measured, to receive a calibrating potential identical with the calibrating potential received by the first element.

2. Equipment for making geophysical surveys comprising a source of current connected in series with a reading resistance and a first pair of ground electrodes adapted to be inserted at spaced points in a geological formation, a second pair of electrodes for connection to the ground across a portion of the formation between the said resistance unit having a center tap connected to the sliding contact of a high resistance potentiometer the ends of which are connected to the source of current.

3. A potential comparator for comparing the potential diiierence existing between two earth In the preferred form of my invention I utilize swing current but for some tests reasonably satisfactory results may be obtained by using direct current and in some other cases alternating current of commercial frequencies or extra high frequencies may be employed. In such cases it is of course necessary that the differential meter be suitable for the type of current used and when direct current is used the condensers in series potential electrodes with the potential drop across a reading resistance; which includes a reading resistance, a first and second binding post for connection to the potential electrodes, a null detector having a first element connected to the reading resistance and responsive to the drop in potential across the reading resistance and a second element; a third and fourth binding post for connection to two energizing current electrodes; two terminals for connection to a source of test current; interconnecting conductors for connecting the reading resistance and the energizing electrodes in series and to the terminals for connection to the source oi test current and for connecting the first meter element to the reading resistance and for connecting the second" meter element to the first and second binding posts and sheet metal means for supporting the foregoing mentioned equipment together with ahigh resistance unit connected between the first and second binding posts and having a center tap connected to the sheet metal means.

4. A potential comparator for comparing the I potential drop across a resistance of unknown meter; or two position power switch having a test position and a calibrate position and so connected to the source of test current and to the source 0! calibrating potential that when in the test position the source 01 test current is connected to its output terminals and when in the calibrate position the source of calibrate potential is connected to its output terminals; a two position meter switch having a test position and a calibrate position and so connected to the two meter elements that the elements may be connected for testing with one element across each of the resistances, or for calibrating with the two elements and their associated series equipment in multiple; together with conductors interconnecting the two switches in such manner that when the power switch is in the test position and the meter switch is in the calibrate position no potential is applied between the terminals of either meter element.

STEPHEN W. BORDEN. 

